SUMMARY: Ruth Montero, age 23, died August 7, 1979 after an abortion performed at Women's Care Center in Miami, FL.
Ruth Flor Montero, a 23-year-old native of Peru, underwent a safe and legal vacuum abortion of her 8-week pregnancy, under general anesthesia, August 1979, at Women's Care Center in Miami.
Ruth awoke from anesthesia in the recovery room, and went into convulsions and cardiopulmonary arrest. She died from hemorrhage and a prolapsed mitral valve on August 7.
Ruth Montero, Myrta Baptiste, Maura Morales, and Shirley Payne all died in a clinic owned by Hipolito Barreiro, trained in Argentina and West Africa, but not licensed in U.S. Barreiro was accused of practicing without a license and tampering with witness.
As you can see from the graph below, abortion deaths were falling dramatically before legalization. This steep fall had been in place for decades. To argue that legalization lowered abortion mortality simply isn't supported by the data.
Miami Herald 1-5-83;
Obstetrics & Gynecology September 1986;
CDC Abortion Surveillance 1982;
Florida Today 6-1-83
"Miami police tie 4th death to abortions," The Times-Picayune, Jan. 6, 1983
Ruth Flor Montero, a 23-year-old native of Peru, underwent a safe and legal vacuum abortion of her 8-week pregnancy, under general anesthesia, August 1979, at Women's Care Center in Miami.
Ruth awoke from anesthesia in the recovery room, and went into convulsions and cardiopulmonary arrest. She died from hemorrhage and a prolapsed mitral valve on August 7.
Ruth Montero, Myrta Baptiste, Maura Morales, and Shirley Payne all died in a clinic owned by Hipolito Barreiro, trained in Argentina and West Africa, but not licensed in U.S. Barreiro was accused of practicing without a license and tampering with witness.
For more information about botched abortions at Women's Care Center, read "Chronology of Claims Against Women's Care Center," Miami Herald, January 7, 1983.
As you can see from the graph below, abortion deaths were falling dramatically before legalization. This steep fall had been in place for decades. To argue that legalization lowered abortion mortality simply isn't supported by the data.